Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-09

n historical monument Duils Oy your bravery.
Long NAV 1t stand with liberty and peace
the inheritance of Its sons and daughters.
At the close of that war Texas nestled
securely under the folds Of our beloved
flag and commenced its march toward the
destiny of the present and future. Many
years have come and gone since then, preg-
nant with mighty events In the annals II
ouI history. The greatest war OF modern
times has been fought on cur common
soil, but not single star has been stricS-
en- from our common flag, and, looking
back over that awful gulf, tie citizens
Of this city see in you the heroes who
conquered the forces which tried to
keep the clone Star" from taking
its sposition among the clus'e r on that
| flag. know not where you individually
hsiI from, but thousands of the descend
ants of the heroes of the Mexican war are
| in Texas, and its q proud boast to trace
| the family tree back TO some sturdy patri-
OF who fought under General Scott.
You are the survivors in the last war OF
American freemen with an alien foe, and
the flag you fought under has never been
| Covered in defeat. Peace, with gentle,
all-pervaiing wing, now quietly presids5
| over our couatry, but the American eagle
:
national shield, with his eye stretching
| from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean ana
| from the St. Lawrence to the Rio Graude
river, and one feather plucked wanton-y
! FROM his plum &c would stir the patriotic.
resentment Cf the American people fsofn
circumference to center, and from center
! back 10 circumference.
You are on embodiment CT and an in
spirasion for the American love OF srfass
and though peace reigns that spirN is
not dead When you were stormipg the
heights Of Monterey, hurting back the
enemy with tremendous odds against you
ct Vera Cruz, carrying the citadel ct
! Chapultepec and marching with victorious
| foot into the capitol Of Mexico, you were
bull ling up the glory OF American arms.
IT'S to those scenes the youth OF to-day
turns, and while his blood is fired with
that spirit he N urns because his genera
| ton is IN period Of peace and longs Tor
s Cherubusco and Pillow TO lead him 10
a martial victory over the ramparte ot an
enemy.
History tells US that when, in May 1916,
Congress made declaration or war and
authorized the President TO accept IF y
thousand volunteers for service over
three hundred thousand rushed forward
to enter the ranks. That is the spirit
still dominant in the American breast,
aud II O call we're made tomorrow mil
lion men would answer the first bugle
blast of war. IT'S the pride of America
that she has no large standing army
Sac needs none. Her soldiers can be found
tilEDg the fields, handling the yGrdsaiCk,
in the shops and counting room. They
swarm In the valley, on mountain top,
hill and plain. Their couatry weet
Land of Libe1tS"-need call but once and
their lives are ready to be laid upon its
altar. The "clssh of resounding arms"
sweeping upon q gale from any section.
north or south, east or west, would rouse
the whole country. That patriotism
which marked the first struggle for Amer
lean independence has never lost its
glow, and the affairs lighted IN the dark
shadows of Valley Forge by Washington's
own hand still illuminate the American
heart and character. The wars of 1872
and 1916 added fuel to those affairs and
supplied anew the fountains wherefrom
the youth Of future generations cen drink
and be filed with lofty and just ps-
triotlc pride for their country.
A nation has no security so great IS the
patriotism of its people. So long SIS they
love their country 1t is free, and every
man soldier in reserve. How ennObllDg
| is this almost divine principle! 1t lifts
men towards heaven above all selfish nc
tives. 1t has built petty provinces into en-
pires and sent the names of their people
a spotless heritage through history.
Without il, ThermopYls, Bunker Hill,
San Jacinto, Monterey, Cnerubusco and
| thousand other spots made sacred By
the blood of martyrs, would not now stand
glsnt-like and sublime along the path Of
| the worlds history. Napoleon, C@ sdr,
Alexander and Philip would have been
smothered in the vapor Of their fruitless
am oitions, had it not animated the breasts
of their proud victorious armies. 1t is
this spirit that permits our country TO
stand secure in its plsce-foremost among
nations-with q handful Of soldiers COM
prising its regular army. Its strength
lies IN the vast plumber of volunteers
who enjoy the peace secured by this
spirit. No hsg among civilized nations is
loved by its entire people like the 'stars
and stripes" 1t needs no strong army
| to protect it, for it floats over people
who love its every star and stripe. May
the time never come when strong mill
tary force will be necessary to keep its
| folds over the entire Union.
| 1t is truthfully said that the strength of
a government can be correctly gagged by
the love of its people for Its soldier dead
How great then must be the strength Of
| America, when we consider that our
national Decoration Day is now almost
our greatest anniversary? HOW much
greater proof of our governments
strength it IS to see the honor paid our
living war veterans. Look back few
weeks to the reunion IF northern and
| Confederate soldiers upon the field of
Gettysburg. 1t is described as one of the
| gr6ndest occasions of our late history.
The bitterest war prejudices ever felt by
a divided people were there buried, and
| with hearts responsive to each other 5
beat, upon the very spot where the flag of
the Confederscy was doomed to become
the emblem Of a conquered nation,
northern and southern soldiers joined 10
grand commiDgling chorus song of
patriotism and love for their common
flag, which was caught mp and re-echoed
by the multitude there assembled, and
which still re -echoes and reverberstes in
every heart under the American flag.
That same spirit is dominant today.
| America reiOices to see Won here in re-